The Mughal rule had spread to a large part of India, but they faced a challenge in the Deccan region. The Deccan had capable rulers, and one such ruler was Malik Ambar. Malik harboured such hatred towards the Mughals that he wrote in a letter to his allies, 'I will fight against the Mughals as long as there is life in my body.' Interestingly, this Sultan, who stood up to the Mughals, had come to India just a few years prior as a slave.
Malik Ambar was born in Ethiopia in 1549. Little is known about his early life. His original name was Chaapu. He was bought and sold multiple times between Ethiopia and India, as was common during that time. In the end, he became the property of Changiz Khan, who was the Prime Minister of Ahmadnagar. Working alongside Changiz Khan, Chaapu learned about administration and military matters very well. The lessons he learned during this time proved significant in his later life.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chaapu gained representation in Ahmadnagar After Changiz Khan died, the slave from Ethiopia became free. But without a leader, Malik found it difficult to pave his way forward. Dr. Radhey Shyam writes in his book "Life and Times of Malik Ambar", 'During this time, Malik Ambar did small and big tasks for nominal wages.' When his ambition grew, he raised a strong army. During this time, he also recruited slaves who came to the Deccan. At the same time, Ahmadnagar started to weaken due to internal conflict. The Mughals took advantage of this and captured the fort of Ahmadnagar.
This was a significant event for Malik Ambar. When the Sultan of Ahmadnagar died, he placed Murtaza Nizam Shah on the throne in 1601. By working with Changiz Khan, Malik Ambar had already learned the politics of the royal court. As a result, even though Murtaza Shah sat on the throne, Malik Ambar effectively ruled from behind the scenes as the Prime Minister. Besides this, to strengthen his ties with the royal family, he married his daughter to Murtaza Shah.
Malik Ambar's army was getting stronger. By 1610, he had 10,000 soldiers from Habshis and 40,000 from the Deccan. In the next 10 years, he fought against Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Jahangir was angry with Malik Ambar and wanted to take over his kingdom, but Malik Ambar managed to defeat him every time.
Malik Ambar had to face his first defeat in 1617. He had received help from the kingdom of Bijapur until then, but this support ended with the Mughal's temptation. The combined forces of the Mughals and Bijapur declared war against Malik. For many months, Ambar's guerrilla warfare kept the enemy army on its toes.
In 1624, Malik faced the Mughal army head-on. The Deccan's army was small compared to the Mughals, but Malik still held his ground. This was because he had brought the water from the lake onto the road and turned the path into a swamp. When the huge Mughal army reached there, it got stuck in the swamp. Taking advantage of this, Malik's Maratha warriors launched an attack on the Mughals and caused them heavy losses. Malik Ambar emerged victorious from this battle. Until he was alive, the Mughals never succeeded in entering the Deccan. Malik Ambar died in 1626 at the age of 78.
